Along the Esseouebo and Potaro. 123 



for occasional small clumps of hackia (Tecoma) covered 

 with its deep yellow bloom, of "kaieta" (Gustavia) 

 with its large white flowers, or of the deep blue spikes 

 of the Petrcea, the hue of the forest along the river was 

 almost unbroken, save where a creeper lay spread from 

 tree to tree with masses of pink foliage, or some forest 

 tree with young and coloured leaves appeared. 



A few miles above Tumatamari. a very peculiar alli- 

 gator, of between four and five feet in length, was shot. 

 The species has no frontal ridge, and much the general 

 character of Alligator palpebrosus, but the head is con- 

 siderably more elongated and attenuated, while its 

 dorsal plates are not serially but irregularly placed. A 

 yellow-coloured specimen, having much the appearance 

 of Alligator punclulatus, was also seen ; but it threw 

 itself into the water ere a shot could be fired. Here 

 too, for the first time, a sun-bittern (Enrypyga helias) 

 was seen flying along the bank ; and late in the evening, 

 the deep roar of a jaguar was heard at some short 

 distance from the camp. 



Before reaching the mouth of the Curiebrong river, a 

 large three-toed sloth (Bradypus tridadylus) , a male 

 with the conspicuous orange patch on its back, was 

 noticed climbing slowly high up among a mass of 

 creepers, and, after a considerable amount of trouble, 

 dislodged. A large Ackawoi settlement, Wiaparipie, 

 is met with just below the mouth of this river, and here 

 we rested for a short time and went aback. Nearly all 

 the people were absent, however, attending a large 

 paiwarri feast — much to the disappointment of the crew, 

 who had expected copious draughts of casiri. 



Up to this point, but very few settlements had been 



(j 2 



